DON'T UNDER-ESTIMATE KARIO DE SORMAIN

KARIO DE SORMAIN (23) didn't have to run much of a time to win by ten lengths at Auteuil last Sunday. But I wouldn't dismiss this brilliant mare as a rank outsider for the King George as the bookies have done. She has improved markedly since stepped up to longer trips, winning four of her last five starts. These included a defeat of Sleeping Jack, one of the top chasers in France in a race where I awarded her a speed rating of 43. That puts Kario de Sormain bang there with the top contenders in the King George.

One thing I like about Kario de Sormain is that she's a gung-ho front runner who 'jumps with astonishing speed' according to Paris Turf. She has only one way of running and that's flat out from the start. At one point last Sunday she was almost a fence clear of her field.

Sandown Park strongly favours front running chasers that attack their fences like Kario de Sormain does. And there's no doubt she is a totally fearless jumper. Paris Turf carried a picture of her jumping the rail ditch when she won the Prix George Courtois last year - and it's one of the most remarkable I've ever seen. She's clearing the giant obstacle by something like four feet and looks to be going at at amazing clip.

Kario de Sormain doesn't ever seem to hit a fence. The one danger is that occasionally she puts in one of those huge jumps shown in Paris Turf and lands too steeply.

I confess I have a soft spot for kamikaze front runners like Kario de Sormain. And while it's perfectly possible she will tire in the closing stages as she did in the 'French King George', the Prix la Haye Jousselin, I think the bookies have got her price all wrong. I can see her slipping her field with a bold display of jumping at those crucial three 'railway fences' which come so close together down the far side at Sandown. Then she could be awfully hard to peg back.

REMEMBER POLIVALENTE

The fastest time run at Auteuil's big two day meeting last week-end was put up by the four year old filly POLIVALENTE (41) in the Group 1 Prix Maurice Gillois. She jumped tremendously well in a fast run race to beat a strong field and looks set to win more chases at the top level.

Polivalente has now reached the first two in her last eleven completed starts and would have been taking her seventh race in a row here but for two narrow defeats. This was the fastest effort of her career so far and it looks like the extended distance of 2m 6f brought it about. The stamina she displayed here must surely make her a very attractive prospect for the big British and Irish jumps owners. There aren't many opportunities over longer trips in France but there are plenty in Britain and Ireland. It's just a shame that she scored over fences back in April. Otherwise I'd be fantasizing about her as a prospect for the Sun Alliance Chase.

BALTHAZAR'S GIFT RUNS FAST

As I'm often saying, fast sprinters are a dime a dozen in Britain. Nonetheless the performance of BALTHAZAR'S GIFT (38) in winning the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte for Kevin Ryan is worthy of note. The colt clocked a time three tenths of a second quicker than the big 'Quinte' handicap over the same trip earlier on the card and only two two tenths slower than Miss Emma took to win the Group 3 for older runners. I awarded him a Group 1 class speed rating for the effort.

Kevin Ryal told Paris Turf afterwards that Balthazar's Gift "is really a true sprinter. He has a splendid turn of foot." Jamie Spencer, then horse's jockey said: "I won very easily, in spite of a small traffic problem. This is a strapping two year old colt who likes soft ground."

Normal physical improvement over the winter would see Balthazar's Gift become a real threat to the top sprinters next term.

HELIOS QUERCUS STILL A GREAT PROSPECT

I gave HELIOS QUERCUS (41) a write up here a couple of weeks ago when he won his comeback race in fast time. Last week the three year old lost by the narrowest of margins to the smart older horse RAGEMAN (41) in a strong renewal of the Group 3 Prix Perth. His jockey said he felt that Helios Quercus may have been feeling the effects of his last run, which was his first in months. His trainer says he will now be put away until next Spring.

I see Helios Quercus as a very interesting prospect for next season. He won a Group 1 race at two and has now run two Group 2 class times back to back. The logical race for him early next year would be the Pris Du Muguet which I imagine will be his target. Though I still wish he'd be aimed at the now very valuable Dubai Duty Free where I'd give him a real shot.

Rageman is interesting too. He seems to be doing better in the smaller fields he's facing in pattern contests than the huge ones he was running in for the valuable Tierce handicaps he's contested till recently.

CARLOTAMIX THE TOP CANDIDATE FOR PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB

After studying some photographs of CARLOTAMIX (38) before the Group 1 Criterium International I was keen to take him on with Stormy River (35) who'd just bolted up by eight lengths in a decent Clairefontaine maiden. The photographs showed that Carlotamix is a strong, deep-chested, long striding sort who might well have trouble showing his best form over only a mile against such a smart rival. Nonetheless the Fabre inmate still won by three lengths from Stormy River in very decent time.

You don't often see a two year old win in fast time in France. French jockeys seem keen to ensure their juvenile mounts aren't asked to race at top speed for more than the last couple of furlongs. This being so, the fast time recorded by Carlotamix was particularly noteworthy.

In its admittedly short history, the Criterium International has so far proved to be the most reliable of all Europe's Group 1 juvenile events in producing winners that go on to prove top class at three. I'd say we saw another winner here in Cartlotamix that has every chance of proving as good as previous winners Act One, Dalakhani and Bago.

IN CLOVER JUST KEEPS ON WINNING

The three year old filly IN THE CLOVER (39) won for the third time in her last four starts when taking the Group 3 Prix de Flore at Saint-Cloud. She is clearly improving and seems to excel on soft ground. On this run she is not that far behind the best of her age and sex over middle distances. If she's kept in training next year she might well progress to taking better races than this.